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Comment by normie3000 | Hacker News Reader

> "I could care less"

Do people really say this? Is it exclusive? I've only heard the inverse: "I couldn't care less".

Edit: genuine question. Please explain downvotes!

People really say this ("I could care less") to express that they do not care at all. I've seen it happen here on this site. Calling out the sheer absurdity of it, even in a respectful way, is not universally well-received. Unfortunately, I could care less about this, as it sounds very grating to me.

I try to remember that I ain't got no problem with other "illogical" uses of negation and could this one in a similar light, but it's more easily said than done.

People really do say this, among other curious expressions that have fallen into common use.

You're being down voted for nit picking language.

I assumed it was an American thing. I've never heard anyone on this side of the Atlantic say it – even though Americanisms are being adopted more by the younger generations who are more influenced by online culture.

> Do people really say this? Is it exclusive? I've only heard the inverse: "I couldn't care less".

"I could" is American. "I couldn't" is British.

As AmEn is now more widespread, the former is widespread, but as a native speaker of BrEn I absolutely detest it and never ever use it.

No, it's just propagated mistakes. Same for lose and loose.

No, people who properly speak American English say "I couldn't care less" as well. It's just that there are a lot of people who don't speak the language correctly, and no social will to try to get them to learn to speak it correctly.

Um.

ISTM that you're saying "this is a common mistake but some people don't make it."

Is that fair?

If so: no argument, but the error is now more common than the correct form, in my experience.

A BrEn example: a mistake has propagated and is now common...

"could have" [is shortened to] "could've" [is misheard as] "could of"... and the mistake gets repeated by people who don't know any better.

I hear this expression said with the incorrect "could" more often than than with the correct "couldn't." I attribute this to one of the following:

- the speaker is using wry sarcasm, although the inflection is usually wrong.

- the speaker actually does care a bit.

- it's easier to say "could" or it's habit.

I try not to be a pedant about this, but often fall. Yeah, I'm fun at parties.

They don’t explain the downvotes, but here are some discussions of the expression:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/could-couldnt-care-l...

https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/I-COULDN-T-care-...

https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/pardon-the-expression/i-...

> But if you are the kind of person who cries out against this abomination we must warn you that people who go through life expecting informal variant idioms in English to behave logically are setting themselves up for a lifetime of hurt.

Downvotes are likely coming from the fact that this comment is quite off topic / doesn't reply to the substance of the comment you are replying to.

While it's often not helpful for folks to point out that something is a quick internet search away, performing one is usually best before going off topic. Doing so would have resulted in the answer to your question pretty quick.

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